Y Kids Community Early Childhood Centre

Education institution number:
55460
Service type:
Education and Care Service
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
28
Telephone:
Address:

130 Roebuck Road, Gisborne Central, Gisborne

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Y Kids Community Early Childhood Centre - 25/10/2018

1 Evaluation of Y Kids Community Early Childhood Centre

How well placed is Y Kids Community Early Childhood Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Y Kids is a mixed-aged, early childhood service operating under the umbrella of the local YMCA in central Gisborne. The service is licensed to provide all day education and care for 35 children, including 10 aged up to two. At the time of this review, 31 Māori children attended. YMCA management provides business support for the centre.

The philosophy aligns with the values of YMCA and includes caring, respect, responsibility, honesty, open relationships and whakawhanaungatanga.

A head teacher manages the centre with support from the team leader.

The May 2015 ERO report identified areas for development as self review, including the philosophy, appraisal and assessment, planning and evaluation processes. Progress is evident in these areas.

The Review Findings

Children engage in a play-based curriculum. Their understanding of mathematical and literacy concepts are enhanced through meaningful and interesting opportunities to use these skills in their everyday lives.

Teachers work alongside children supporting and extending their learning. They know children well and support them to develop social competence.

Warm and responsive practices are evident with infants and toddlers. Teachers effectively support older children to develop an understanding of the special characteristics of infants and toddlers as they play and learn together.

Bicultural practice is developing. Teachers show a strong commitment to furthering their knowledge in this area. Recent refurbishments have increased the visibility of te ao Māori within the environment. Leaders acknowledge that promoting educational success for Māori is an area for ongoing development. There is a current focus on developing leaders' and teachers' understanding of culturally responsive practice to improve outcomes for children.

Portfolios highlight children's learning and progress. Parents are partners in this process and regularly share their aspirations that form the basis of individual goals. Recent changes to this process have increased the alignment between planning and assessment. A next step is to develop consistent practice across the teaching team. Children's culture, language and identity should be more strongly reflected through this process.

Focused planning sets centre-wide priorities for children's learning. These priorities are highly evident in the daily programme and reflected in children's individual assessment information. This focus is leading to improved outcomes for children.

Children with additional learning needs are well supported. Teachers work in partnership with parents and external agencies to improve outcomes for children. Comprehensive assessment and ongoing monitoring of progress towards identified goals occur.

The centre philosophy is clearly evident in curriculum design and teaching practice.

The appraisal process requires strengthening to better support teacher development. Next steps should include:

  • the setting of specific, measurable and aspirational goals

  • professional learning and development that aligns to teachers' goals

  • robust appraisals that meet Education Council requirements.

A useful framework to guide internal evaluation is evident. Leaders agree that a stronger evaluative focus is required to assist teachers to effectively judge how well the curriculum and teachers' practices support positive outcomes for children’s learning.

The governing body has wide responsibilities for a number of community services. A recent transition involves the centre manager input at board level. This has resulted in a renewed commitment by governors to high quality early childhood education provision.

Leaders ensure the service's vision, goals and practices are focused on learning and improving outcomes for children.

Key Next Steps

ERO and leaders agree that areas for ongoing development include:

  • promoting consistent, high quality assessment and planning

  • strengthening the appraisal process

  • building teacher understanding and use of internal evaluation to identify what is going well and what more needs to be done to promote positive outcomes for children.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Y Kids Community Early Childhood Centre completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:

  • curriculum
  • premises and facilities
  • health and safety practices
  • governance, management and administration.

During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:

  • emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)

  • physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)

  • suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)

  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

Actions for compliance

To meet requirements the service needs to improve its performance in the following area:

  • assessment and management of risks on excursions and documentation comprehensive enough to show how teachers plan to mitigate them.
    [Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008, HS17]

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Y Kids Community Early Childhood Centre will be in three years.

Alan Wynyard

Director Review and Improvement Services

Te Tai Pokapū - Central Region

25 October 2018

The Purpose of ERO Reports

The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location

Gisborne

Ministry of Education profile number

55460

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2

Service roll

48

Gender composition

Boys 30, Girls 18

Ethnic composition

Māori
Pākehā
Other ethnic groups

31
14
3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%+

Based on funding rates

80% +

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:4

Better than minimum requirements

Over 2

1:6

Better than minimum requirements

Review team on site

September 2018

Date of this report

25 October 2018

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

May 2015

Education Review

August 2012

Education Review

October 2007

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:

  • Pou Whakahaere – how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children
  • Pou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for children
  • Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children
  • Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children.

Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.

ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.

A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.

For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:

  • Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
  • Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
  • Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
  • Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.

Y Kids Community Early Childhood Centre - 26/05/2015

1 Evaluation of Y Kids Community Early Childhood Centre

How well placed is Y Kids Community Early Childhood Centre to promote positive learning outcomes for children?

Not well placed

Requires further development

Well placed

Very well placed

ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.

Background

Y Kids is a mixed-aged, early childhood centre that operates under the umbrella of the local YMCA in central Gisborne. The service is licensed to provide all day education and care for 35 children, including 10 up to two years old. YMCA management provides business support for the centre and an early childhood services manager provides oversight for three services in the Gisborne area. The centre manager and the assistant supervisor worked at the centre at the time of the 2012 ERO review, and the majority of teachers are new.

The 2012 August ERO report identified that positive respectful relationships were evident at all levels of centre operation. These positive elements from the 2012 report have been sustained and the areas for development and review addressed.

The Review Findings

The centre’s philosophy of developing a community of learners as part of the YMCA’s mission to ‘build strong kids, families and communities’ is clearly evident. Centre leadership acknowledge that with new staff, it is important to review the centre philosophy to enable a shared understanding.

Teachers have positive, responsive and respectful relationships with children and their whānau. Staff warmly greet children as they arrive. Interactions help foster children’s language development. Te reo Māori is naturally woven into conversations throughout the day. Children’s culture, identity and sense of place are well supported.

Responsive caregiving supports infants’ and toddlers’ need for strong and secure attachments and effectively supports their wellbeing. Consistency and continuity of care are implemented. Staff maintain a calm, slow pace in which children have the time and space to engage in their learning.

The curriculum effectively recognises and builds on the knowledge that children and whānau bring to the service. Each term an individual learning plan is developed for each child that takes into account whānau and teacher-identified interests. Communication with parents is ongoing and valued by centre staff.

Teachers are highly responsive to children’s emerging and developing interests. Group planning should be strengthened by showing clearer links to children’s interests and inquiries.

Profile books contain a good range of learning stories that demonstrate how children’s interests are fostered and extended. These include emerging interests in literacy, mathematics, art and science.

Transition to school is well implemented. It takes into account the changes children experience as they progress onto school and supports transition to before and after school care.

Educators are collaborative and work well together. Leadership is effective in establishing strong positive staff relationships. This permeates through the centre which has a positive and settled tone and atmosphere.

Teachers follow a self-review framework to make decisions to improve centre practices. Leadership recognise that self-review understandings and practices require development. Professional development is appropriately focused on self review. An external facilitator is assisting this process through a focus on literacy and mathematics.

Privacy of information about children is well considered. All reasonable steps are taken to ensure that children are appropriately protected.

A new appraisal process has been introduced recently. This requires strengthening to ensure that the Registered Teacher Criteria are fully incorporated, and provides teachers with regular feedback, including observations that support their ongoing development.

Key Next Steps

Management and ERO agree on the following next steps to support ongoing improvement:

  • to review the service’s philosophy
  • to strengthen self review and inquiry
  • further strengthen the appraisal system to support staff development
  • continuing to develop assessment, planning and evaluation of children’s learning.

Management Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the staff and management of Y Kids Community Early Childhood Centre completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:

  • curriculum
  • premises and facilities
  • health and safety practices
  • governance, management and administration.

During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:

  • emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)
  • physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)
  • suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)
  • evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

Next ERO Review

When is ERO likely to review the service again?

The next ERO review of Y Kids Community Early Childhood Centre will be in three years.Image removed.

Joyce Gebbie

Deputy Chief Review Officer Central

26 May 2015

The Purpose of ERO Reports

The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.

2 Information about the Early Childhood Service

Location

Gisborne

Ministry of Education profile number

55460

Licence type

Education & Care Service

Licensed under

Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008

Number licensed for

35 children, including up to 10 aged under 2

Service roll

40

Gender composition

Girls 21, Boys 19

Ethnic composition

Māori

Pākehā

Other ethnic groups

22

15

3

Percentage of qualified teachers

0-49% 50-79% 80%

Based on funding rates

80%

Reported ratios of staff to children

Under 2

1:5

Meets minimum requirements

 

Over 2

1:10

Meets minimum requirements

Review team on site

April 2015

Date of this report

26 May 2015

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

August 2012

 

Education Review

October 2007

3 General Information about Early Childhood Reviews

ERO’s Evaluation Framework

ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:

  • Pou Whakahaere – how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children
  • Pou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for children
  • Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children
  • Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children.

Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.

ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.

A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.

For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.

ERO’s Overall Judgement and Next Review

The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:

  • Very well placed – The next ERO review in four years
  • Well placed – The next ERO review in three years
  • Requires further development – The next ERO review within two years
  • Not well placed - The next ERO review in consultation with the Ministry of Education

ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.

Review Coverage

ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.